purr

or pur

[pur]

See more synonyms for purr on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to utter a low, continuous, murmuring sound expressive of contentment or pleasure, as a cat does.
(of things) to make a sound suggestive of the purring of a cat: The new motor of the car purred.

verb (used with object)

to express by or as if by purring.

noun

the low, vibrating sound made by a cat by the contracting of the laryngeal muscles and the diaphragm as it breathes.
a sound resembling this.
the act of purring.

Origin of purr

First recorded in 1595–1605; imitative

Related formspurr·ing·ly, adverb

Can be confusedper purr (see usage note at per)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for purr

sound, sing, murmur, hum

Examples from the Web for purr

Contemporary Examples of purr

If there was an Oscar for performances by felines, Inside Llewyn Davis should rightfully have claimed that too, with a purr.
Why No Oscar Love For 'Inside Llewyn Davis'?
Tim Teeman
January 20, 2014
“We always have fun,” she confided in her lilting Slovenian purr.
Obama Roasts Trump
Lloyd Grove
May 1, 2011
Move cautiously and reassuringly and the bear will purr contentedly.
Democrats, Forever Changed
Peter Beinart
March 15, 2010

Historical Examples of purr

"I mean to hear the trial," continued Mrs. Garth, with a purr of satisfaction.
The Shadow of a Crime
Hall Caine
Charles-Norton half closed his eyes; his soul began to purr.
The Trimming of Goosie
James Hopper
And the Tom Cat said, “Can you curve your back, and purr and give out sparks?”
Boys and Girls Bookshelf (Vol 2 of 17)
Various
The newspapers pounced on them with joy, as cats pounce and purr on catnip.
In a Little Town
Rupert Hughes
They could hear the purr of the taxicab as it dashed up the street.
Mary Rose of Mifflin
Frances R. Sterrett

British Dictionary definitions for purr

purr

verb

(intr) (esp of cats) to make a low vibrant sound, usually considered as expressing pleasure, etc
(tr) to express (pleasure, etc) by this sound

noun

a purring sound

Word Origin for purr

C17: of imitative origin; compare French ronronner to purr, German schnurren, Dutch snorren

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for purr

1610s, of imitative origin. Related: Purred; purring. As a noun from c.1600.